Figure 14.

Macroporous antimicrobial polymeric gel (MAPG) for water treatment. (a) MAPG synthesis via free radical polymerization at subzero temperature. (b) Image of macroporous antimicrobial polymeric gel (MAPG) in a syringe and E. coli−contaminated water passing through it. (c) Image of treated water after passing through the syringe. Compared to the untreated, cloudy water due to the presence of bacteria, the treated water was clear. (d) The syringe was subjected to 8 continuous cycles of percolation with E. coli−contaminated water; the recovered water was analyzed via colony−forming unit (CFU) counting. No viable bacteria were detected in the water that passed through the syringe. APS is ammonium persulfate, QA monomer is the quaternary ammonium ethyl methacrylate monomer, PMDETA is the coinitiator N,N,N′,N′′,N′′−pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, and OEG−DMA is oligoethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Adapted from [189].